positionality = "social status or position"

[Charles Doyle]

If we think of "w" as "double u" (which, of course, the public doesn't, especially in the "dubyu"-pronouncing South whose dialect a certain faux-Texan tries to imitate), then the spelling of the forename of the Atlanta Braves center fielder becomes interesting: ANDRUW Jones. As far as I know, Jones has not been nicknamed Tripyu.

--Charlie
_____________________________________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:56:39 -0400
>From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>
>At 10:49 PM -0400 8/28/07, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>>On 8/28/07, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu> wrote:
>>>
>>>  At 6:59 PM -0400 8/28/07, Benjamin Zimmer wrote:
>>>  >>
>>>  >>  Yes, in a way it's surprising that hasn't turned into "Tridub" or
>>>  >>  something similarly reduced by now.
>>>  >
>>>  >Well, there's "tripdub", apparently.
>>>  >
>>>  >http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronunciation_of_%22www%22
>>>
>>>  I prefer "tridub".  "Tripdub" sounds too much like "tripped up", and
>>>  I don't like the other options on that web site.  wuh wuh wuh?  dub
>>>  dub dub?  no no no.  double-you cubed?  no thanks.
>>
>>I would've guessed "tripdub" was some hipster hybrid of triphop and dub music.
>>
>>Another possible expansion of "tripdub" is "triple double" (when a
>>player reaches at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a
>>basketball game):
>
>Exactly.  And those (unlike "www") are actually *called*
>triple-doubles and hence constitute much more compelling candidates
>for the reduction to "trip-dub".  Tridub or bust!
>
>LH
>
>>
>>http://forums.sohh.com/showthread.php?t=524201
>>http://www.sports-boards.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17359
>>http://freedarko.blogspot.com/2005/11/certain-things-you-ought-to-know.html
>>etc.
>>
>>
>>--Ben Zimmer
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org